Michael Doane

Michael Doane helps authors and entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life. He believes the power of story can transform the world and drive ordinary people to extraordinary action. Join his reading list to get monthly recommendations that can transform your world and help bring your ideas to life.

How putting the work in every day will lead to expertise, authority, and success

When Jerry Seinfeld was asked what goes into writing a comedy set, he said, “That’s like asking God how much time goes into making an oak tree? I don’t know, I do it every day, I do it all day.” Narcissism aside, he makes a good point.

Achieving quality through quantity

A lot of people confuse the non-zero principle with lowering your expectations. But if you’re setting your expectations low, you’re missing the point. Non-zero is about setting the conditions for success. It’s creating a system that ensures certain outcomes over the long term.

Forget your goals and start building the foundation of a life well-lived A mentor recently asked me a poignant question. “Beginning with the end in mind, how would you like to be remembered?” He was asking about my legacy.

Discovering the value of your work and being brave enough to ask for what you’re worth Have you heard this anecdote about Salvador Dalí? Dalí was enjoying lunch in a Parisian café doodling on a napkin, when a woman approached him and offered him a couple bucks for the sketch. Dalí kindly refused. He wouldn’t sell it for a penny less than $40,000.